NCURA AI Readiness, Adoption, and Governance Survey for Research Administration

This survey aims to assess NCURA members’ awareness and use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in research administration. For this survey, “AI tools” refers broadly to software applications, platforms, and technologies that apply AI techniques to perform or enhance specific tasks or workflows. Examples include virtual assistants, chatbots, grammar and writing aids, workflow automation, and other AI-enabled software integrations.

*Demographic Information: The data remains anonymous and protected

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* 1. What is your current role in research administration? Please Select all that apply

Departmental Pre-Award

Departmental Post-Award

Central Pre-Award

Central Post-Award

Compliance (COI, IRB, IACUC, Tech Transfer, export control, etc.)

Management (AD, Director)

Institutional Officer/Leadership

Faculty/PI

Other (please specify)

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* 2. How many years of experience do you have in research administration?

0-2 years

3-5 years

6-10 years

More than 10 years

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* 3. What type(s) of institution do you currently work? (Select all that apply)

Doctoral Universities - Very High Research Activity (R1)

Doctoral Universities - High Research Activity (R2)

Master’s Colleges and Universities

Baccalaureate Colleges/Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs)

Historically Black College or University (HBCU)

Minority-Serving Institution (MSI, HSI, AANAPISI, TCU, etc.)

Community College

Academic medical center /health sciences university

Non-profit research organization or foundation

Other (please specify)

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NCURA Regions

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* 4. In which NCURA region are you located?

Region I – New England: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont

Region II – Mid-Atlantic: Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia

Region III – Southeast: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virgin Islands, Virginia

Region IV – Mid-America: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakoda, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin

Region V – South: Texas, Oklahoma

Region VI – West: Alaska, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Northern Mariana Islands, Guam

Region VII – Rocky Mountain: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming

Region VIII - International

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* 5. Please indicate which of the following AI tools you have used either professionally or in your personal life. (Select all that apply.)

ChatGPT (OpenAI)

Gemini (Google)

Claude(Anthropic)

Microsoft Copilot

Grok (xAI)

Perplexity (Perplexity AI)

DeepSeek (High-Flyer, a Chinese open weight model)

OpenClaw (open-source agentic tool)

Amazon Bedrock or Lex (Amazon Web Services)

None

Other (please specify)

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* 6. For each of the following statements, please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree based on your current knowledge, experience, and perceptions of artificial intelligence (AI) in research administration. If you do not have enough information or do not hold an opinion on a statement, please select “Neither Agree nor Disagree.”

Scale:
1- Strongly disagree | 2-Disagree | 3-Neutral | 4-Agree | 5-Strongly Agree

	Strongly disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree	Not sure / Insufficient knowledge
I understand the basic concepts and potential applications of AI (e.g. generative AI, Large Language Models, prompts)	I understand the basic concepts and potential applications of AI (e.g. generative AI, Large Language Models, prompts) Strongly disagree	I understand the basic concepts and potential applications of AI (e.g. generative AI, Large Language Models, prompts) Disagree	I understand the basic concepts and potential applications of AI (e.g. generative AI, Large Language Models, prompts) Neutral	I understand the basic concepts and potential applications of AI (e.g. generative AI, Large Language Models, prompts) Agree	I understand the basic concepts and potential applications of AI (e.g. generative AI, Large Language Models, prompts) Strongly Agree	I understand the basic concepts and potential applications of AI (e.g. generative AI, Large Language Models, prompts) Not sure / Insufficient knowledge
I can identify practical use cases for AI in research administration (e.g., drafting communications, summarizing policies, extracting data from documents)	I can identify practical use cases for AI in research administration (e.g., drafting communications, summarizing policies, extracting data from documents) Strongly disagree	I can identify practical use cases for AI in research administration (e.g., drafting communications, summarizing policies, extracting data from documents) Disagree	I can identify practical use cases for AI in research administration (e.g., drafting communications, summarizing policies, extracting data from documents) Neutral	I can identify practical use cases for AI in research administration (e.g., drafting communications, summarizing policies, extracting data from documents) Agree	I can identify practical use cases for AI in research administration (e.g., drafting communications, summarizing policies, extracting data from documents) Strongly Agree	I can identify practical use cases for AI in research administration (e.g., drafting communications, summarizing policies, extracting data from documents) Not sure / Insufficient knowledge
I believe AI will play a significant role in the future of research administration	I believe AI will play a significant role in the future of research administration Strongly disagree	I believe AI will play a significant role in the future of research administration Disagree	I believe AI will play a significant role in the future of research administration Neutral	I believe AI will play a significant role in the future of research administration Agree	I believe AI will play a significant role in the future of research administration Strongly Agree	I believe AI will play a significant role in the future of research administration Not sure / Insufficient knowledge
I believe AI will improve the efficiency of research administration processes	I believe AI will improve the efficiency of research administration processes Strongly disagree	I believe AI will improve the efficiency of research administration processes Disagree	I believe AI will improve the efficiency of research administration processes Neutral	I believe AI will improve the efficiency of research administration processes Agree	I believe AI will improve the efficiency of research administration processes Strongly Agree	I believe AI will improve the efficiency of research administration processes Not sure / Insufficient knowledge
I think the use of AI can reduce the workload of research administrators	I think the use of AI can reduce the workload of research administrators Strongly disagree	I think the use of AI can reduce the workload of research administrators Disagree	I think the use of AI can reduce the workload of research administrators Neutral	I think the use of AI can reduce the workload of research administrators Agree	I think the use of AI can reduce the workload of research administrators Strongly Agree	I think the use of AI can reduce the workload of research administrators Not sure / Insufficient knowledge
I am concerned that AI will eventually replace jobs in research administration	I am concerned that AI will eventually replace jobs in research administration Strongly disagree	I am concerned that AI will eventually replace jobs in research administration Disagree	I am concerned that AI will eventually replace jobs in research administration Neutral	I am concerned that AI will eventually replace jobs in research administration Agree	I am concerned that AI will eventually replace jobs in research administration Strongly Agree	I am concerned that AI will eventually replace jobs in research administration Not sure / Insufficient knowledge
I feel that AI will have a positive impact on research administration	I feel that AI will have a positive impact on research administration Strongly disagree	I feel that AI will have a positive impact on research administration Disagree	I feel that AI will have a positive impact on research administration Neutral	I feel that AI will have a positive impact on research administration Agree	I feel that AI will have a positive impact on research administration Strongly Agree	I feel that AI will have a positive impact on research administration Not sure / Insufficient knowledge
I am concerned about the ethical implications of AI in research administration	I am concerned about the ethical implications of AI in research administration Strongly disagree	I am concerned about the ethical implications of AI in research administration Disagree	I am concerned about the ethical implications of AI in research administration Neutral	I am concerned about the ethical implications of AI in research administration Agree	I am concerned about the ethical implications of AI in research administration Strongly Agree	I am concerned about the ethical implications of AI in research administration Not sure / Insufficient knowledge
I think that training in AI tools and their applications is important for research administrators	I think that training in AI tools and their applications is important for research administrators Strongly disagree	I think that training in AI tools and their applications is important for research administrators Disagree	I think that training in AI tools and their applications is important for research administrators Neutral	I think that training in AI tools and their applications is important for research administrators Agree	I think that training in AI tools and their applications is important for research administrators Strongly Agree	I think that training in AI tools and their applications is important for research administrators Not sure / Insufficient knowledge
I feel that my current institution has effectively prepared research administrators for using AI tools in their work	I feel that my current institution has effectively prepared research administrators for using AI tools in their work Strongly disagree	I feel that my current institution has effectively prepared research administrators for using AI tools in their work Disagree	I feel that my current institution has effectively prepared research administrators for using AI tools in their work Neutral	I feel that my current institution has effectively prepared research administrators for using AI tools in their work Agree	I feel that my current institution has effectively prepared research administrators for using AI tools in their work Strongly Agree	I feel that my current institution has effectively prepared research administrators for using AI tools in their work Not sure / Insufficient knowledge
I am aware of the emerging concept of Agentic AI and how it differs from traditional AI tools	I am aware of the emerging concept of Agentic AI and how it differs from traditional AI tools Strongly disagree	I am aware of the emerging concept of Agentic AI and how it differs from traditional AI tools Disagree	I am aware of the emerging concept of Agentic AI and how it differs from traditional AI tools Neutral	I am aware of the emerging concept of Agentic AI and how it differs from traditional AI tools Agree	I am aware of the emerging concept of Agentic AI and how it differs from traditional AI tools Strongly Agree	I am aware of the emerging concept of Agentic AI and how it differs from traditional AI tools Not sure / Insufficient knowledge
I believe Agentic AI could further enhance automation in research administration processes	I believe Agentic AI could further enhance automation in research administration processes Strongly disagree	I believe Agentic AI could further enhance automation in research administration processes Disagree	I believe Agentic AI could further enhance automation in research administration processes Neutral	I believe Agentic AI could further enhance automation in research administration processes Agree	I believe Agentic AI could further enhance automation in research administration processes Strongly Agree	I believe Agentic AI could further enhance automation in research administration processes Not sure / Insufficient knowledge

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* 7. How frequently do you use AI tools in your work?

Everyday

Weekly

Occasionally

Rarely

Never

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* 8. For which tasks do you primarily use AI tools?

Administrative and Operational Tasks (e.g. automating data entry, drafting emails, summarize meetings)

Research and Analysis (e.g. identifying or matching funding opportunities, analyzing data)

Proposal and Grant Development (e.g. creating proposal budgets and/or budget justifications, editing or refining proposal documents)

Post Award and Compliance (e.g. managing award setup or preparing financial reports)

Creative and Content Tasks (e.g. creating presentations, graphics, or visualizations)

None of the above, I do not use AI tools at work

Other (please specify)

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* 9. If you use AI tools at work, which of the following do you use? (Select all that apply.)

Free, publicly available AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT free version, Grammarly)

Subscription-based tools that I personally pay for

Subscription-based tools provided or paid for by my institution

AI features integrated into university-managed systems or platforms (e.g., Microsoft Copilot, Power BI, LMS tools)

Custom or self-developed AI tools or scripts

Other (please specify)

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* 10. What is your biggest concern regarding the use of AI in research administration? Please Rank

Lack of transparency and explainability in AI decisions.

Potential for bias and unfairness in AI algorithms

Job displacement and loss of human expertise

Difficulty integrating AI tools with existing complex systems and workflows (e.g. Workday, Oracle, SAP, Huron).

Data privacy and security risks

Ethical considerations

Resistance from staff

Resistance from leadership

Budget constraints

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* 11. What types of AI-related training would be most valuable for research administrators? (Select all that apply.)

Practical training on how to use specific AI tools

Foundational understanding of AI concepts, capabilities, and limitations

Guidance on identifying and addressing potential risks or biases in AI-generated content

Skills for critically evaluating and applying AI prompt responses

Other (please specify)

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* 12. What level of ongoing support do you think research administrators need when using AI tools in their work?

Dedicated AI specialists readily available to assist with troubleshooting and questions.

Access to online resources and documentation for self-directed learning and support.

Peer-to-peer support networks or communities for sharing experiences and best practices.

A combination of all.

Other (please specify)

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* 13. What additional resources or support should NCURA, and other professional associations provide to support responsible use of AI tools in research administration?

Workshops and training sessions on practical AI applications in research administration.

Case studies and real-world implementation best practices.

Best practices in AI governance frameworks for responsible adoption

Curated research, articles, and educational resources on AI in research administration

All of the above.

Other (please specify)

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* 14. Which type of compliance or governance frameworks related to AI are under development or have been developed at your institution?

Use of 3rd party AI platforms

Use of 3rd party AI solutions

Use of organizational data and AI solutions

internal development and use of AI agent/chatbots

Prohibition & exceptions regarding use of AI tools

All of the above

None

Unsure

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* 15. How many generative AI or agentic AI solutions are you aware of at your institution

2 to 5

Greater than 5

None

Unsure

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* 16. Which enterprise, commercial or 3rd party application does your institution use to develop or deliver AI solutions within the office of research administration or sponsored programs?

Google Cloud (Vertex AI)/ Google Workspace

Microsoft Copilot Studio

Microsoft Copilot 365

Microsoft Azure

Salesforce

Service Now

Amazon Web Service (AWS)

IBM Watsonx

Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI)

Unsure

None

Other (please specify)

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* 17. What stage of adoption are your institution’s AI solutions across different audiences?

Early exploration (concept discussions or idea generation)

Proof of Concept (PoC) or limited experimentation

Pilot testing with specific user groups

Department-level deployment

Organization-wide implementation

Individual or informal use only

All of the above

Unsure

None

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* 18. Which areas at your institution would most benefit from AI solutions? (Select All that Apply)

Pre Award (e.g., proposal development, routing, compliance)

Post Award (e.g., financial management, reporting, close-out)

Compliance and regulatory oversight

Contracts negotiation

Unsure

None

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* 19. What areas are least in need of AI solutions at your institution?( Select All that Apply)

Pre Award (e.g., proposal development, routing, compliance)

Post Award (e.g., financial management, reporting, close-out)

Compliance and regulatory oversight

Contracts negotiation

Unsure

None

AI Acknowledgment Statement:

Portions of this survey were developed with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support clarity, consistency, and readability. Final content was reviewed, edited, and approved by the survey team to ensure accuracy, relevance, and alignment with the goals of the National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA).